23-year record low snowfall sounds alarm for water security

Islamabad:The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)’s newly released Snow Update Report 2025 has uncovered a deeply concerning trend in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region: snow persistence has plummeted to a 23-year record low, registering a staggering 23.6% below the long-term average.

This unprecedented level of reduced snow cover, which measures the fraction of time snow remains on the ground after snowfall, underscores a significant and growing threat to the water security of nearly two billion people dependent on the HKH's river systems.

This alarming statistic is compounded by the fact that 2025 marks the third consecutive year of below-normal seasonal snow across the region. The cumulative impact of these persistent deficits is likely to result in substantially reduced river runoffs and increased potential for early-summer water stress, particularly affecting vulnerable downstream communities already grappling with intensifying heat waves.

The record-low overall snow persistence is reflected in significant declines across several key river basins. Here is a breakdown of the snow persistence anomalies for 2025: Mekong Basin 51.9%, Salween Basin 48.3%, Tibetan Plateau 29.1%, Brahmaputra Basin 27.9%, Yangtze Basin 26.3%, Ganges Basin 24.1%, Indus Basin 16.0%, Helmand Basin 15.2%, Amu Darya Basin 18.8%, Yellow River Basin: -18.6% and Tarim Basin4.0%.

This basin-specific data underscores the widespread nature of the snow deficit and highlights regions facing the most acute reductions. ICIMOD experts emphasise the urgent need for basin-level targeted actions focused on adaptive water resource management. Key recommendations include investing in adaptive infrastructure, developing preparedness plans for drought conditions, integrating snow anomaly information into national water strategies, and disseminating these statistics for evidence-based decision-making.